RS

MEMBER DIARY

HARRY REID PICKS HIS THREE NOMINEES FOR THE SUPER COMMITTEE

According to some Democratic sources close to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Reid will pick his three nominees for the “super committee” assigned with finding $1 trillion in spending cuts by the end of this year.

The sources say that the three are: Patty Murray (D-WA), Max Baucus (D-MT), and John Kerry (D-MA).

Also, according to the sources, Reid has picked Murray to serve as the co-chair of the super committee.

House Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will also pick three nominees each to serve on the super committee.

Murray is chairman of the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee). Some Democrats may attack Reid for picking the chief fundraiser for the 2012 Senate elections.

This could help the NRSCC fundraise more than the Democrats during the rest of the year, as NRSCC Chairman John Cornyn (R-TX) is unlikely to be picked by Mitch McConnell to serve on the super committee, although he isn’t out of the question.

Max Baucus is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which could also entangle him with two powerful positions. Reid may have angered some liberals who think Baucus has had too much deal-making with Republicans over the years.

John Kerry has been lobbying for a spot on the committee, and the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee got it.

Reid will make a formal announcement on Wednesday about his picks for the super committee, but, they have already been leaked.

The other congressional leaders charged with picking their nominees for the super committee have until next Friday to announce who will be their picks for the super committee.

Reid picked three loyalists who will try and not make the super committee make cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and keep entitlement spending where it is now.

Of course, Reid picked three Senators who will do anything to not cut entitlement spending, which needs to be cut right now in order to bring our national debt down. If we decided to cut other things, it wouldn’t be enough. I can’t stand why people can’t just deal with cuts to entitlement spending.